


Sometimes Good Things Begin in Foxholes

by Anonymous



Category: Band of Brothers (TV 2001)
Genre: Friends With Benefits, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Mutual Pining, foxhole comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:55:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29685003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Luz and Muck like to have fun but Luz`s eye is set on one Carwood Lipton. Thankfully, the feeling`s mutual.
Relationships: Carwood Lipton/George Luz, George Luz & Skip Muck
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6
Collections: Heavy Artillery Rare Pair Exchange 2021





	Sometimes Good Things Begin in Foxholes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [churchkey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/churchkey/gifts).



> Happy rarepair exchange churchkey! I hope you enjoy this little fic I wrote for you ❤

**TOCCOA**

They`re headed out to run Currahee for what feels like the millionth time. It's hotter than hell and Luz would rather be doing just about anything else. But if he wants those damned wings, he has to make it through this. At least he has a view - Muck is just in front of him and,  _ oh _ , does he wear PT gear well. He's tempted to start a game of grab ass but Sobel is in a particularly snarly mood today and Luz isn't eager to test his luck. So he settles for stealing glances as he huffs his way up that godforsaken mountain yet again. 

His legs feel like jello by the time they finally make it back down and he curses out Sobel under his breath as they`re ordered into formation. They've already done a full day of training and PT, topped off with a run up Currahee - what more could the man want? Their lives, apparently. A couple of the men sway while they stand in formation, Muck among them. Luz wills his friend to stay upright and stop moving. 

Muck somehow manages to keep from falling over while Sobel spends half an eternity berating the company for one thing or another. As soon as they`re dismissed, Luz quickly makes his way over to Muck, intent on making sure he makes it back to the barracks in one piece. It's slow going as Muck`s legs aren't exactly in the mood for cooperating and by the time they've made it back, most of the men have already changed and cleared out, headed off to find whatever fun could be had in their precious bit of free time.

Muck crashes onto his bunk as soon as he reaches it, flinging an arm over his eyes. Luz collapses onto his own just a few bunks over with a dramatic sigh.

“Do I still have legs?”

“Yeah, looks like it.”

“What about feet? Still got those?”

“Think so. Unless they turned to soup in your boots.”

With a dramatic groan, Muck rolls himself into a sitting position and yanks off his boots, making a show of turning them upside down and shaking.

“Nope. No soup.”

They fall into an exhausted silence as the last of their fellow soldiers clear out of the barracks. A moment of complete silence follows, and then another, before Luz hears a shifting sound and looks over to see Muck propped up on his elbows, eyes trained on him.

“You know Luz, these awful sore muscles sure could use a massage.” Muck waggles his eyebrows in a comically suggestive manner as Luz barks out a laugh. 

“Jesus Christ, Muck, someone could come walking in any minute.”

“That's what makes it so fun, George! The adrenaline! We're heading off to war soon, don`t you want to live a little?” Another waggle of eyebrows elicits an amused snort from Luz.

“We could just go to our usual spot…” Even as he says the words, Luz can feel himself starting to give in to Muck`s suggestion. And Muck knows him well enough to feel his impending victory too. 

“Awww, come on now, you really think these legs are going to get me all the way to the supply shed in this condition?”

Luz only sighs in response, willpower draining away by the second.

“And look, I know I`m not a certain stocky, muscular gentleman, but if you play nice, I`ll let you call me Carwood.” Muck begins making teasing moaning sounds, interspersed with exclamations of  _ oh, Carwood! _ and  _ yes! Carwood! _ . Luz can feel his cheeks heating up and he chucks a pillow at his friend.

“Yeah, yeah, okay, shut your big mouth.”

“Why don't you come shut it for me?”

Luz chuckles and shakes his head, but his feet carry him forward and in less than a moment, he's at Muck`s bunk,  _ in _ Muck`s bunk, his wandering hands doing a helluva job shutting Muck up.

Muck wasn't wrong about the adrenaline rush.

**ALDBOURNE**

If anyone was expecting even the smallest of let ups in the intensity of their training once they reached England, they were sorely mistaken. Yet, even under the unrelenting training schedule, Luz still manages to bounce around like an excited child. With a seemingly boundless supply of energy, Luz makes friends everywhere he goes, chatting up person after person, gathering an ever-growing orbit of companions. It's an impressive quality that, for Lipton, stirs up feelings of both adoration and jealousy in equal measure. And as much as he tries to squash the jealous part of the equation, it never seems to go entirely.

Even now, as Lipton watches Luz ham it up several tables away with his usual group of Muck, Penkala, and Malarkey, he can feel that familiar twinge in his heart.  _ He's jealous _ . He doesn't want to be, but he is, and it's almost painfully embarrassing just how much he is.

Lip averts his eyes, not wanting to get caught staring either by the other men or by Luz himself for fear of tainting their growing friendship in some way. He concentrates on the plate of food in front of him - it's nothing spectacular but nothing awful either. And it's warm. He figures he better enjoy it while he can. Before long they'd be in combat fighting for their lives and eating the less than desirable canned rations that the Army provided.

Popping another piece of potato in his mouth he chews it thoughtfully as he considers what the days ahead will be like and how the men will handle it. He already has a mental list of who to keep an eye out for - one George Luz is on that list. Not for his lack of skill or toughness - Lip is sure he can handle himself well on the battlefield - but for personal reasons. 

Lip wants very much for Luz to survive this war because maybe, _just maybe_ , under less life threatening conditions…

He quietly promises himself that if they both make it through, he`ll give it a try - he'll find the right words to say to Luz and he`ll give it a try.

The thought is infinitely more exciting than the under seasoned potatoes in front of him.

**NORMANDY**

Luz is all nerves and adrenaline when he makes his first jump into combat but through a healthy coating of fear, he feels ready -  _ he is ready _ . Or at least he would be ready if he hadn't just got caught in a tree. It is both a somewhat embarrassing and mildly terrifying way to begin the war, dangling there like a human  piñata for the Germans. He attempts to wriggle loose, forgetting his training in the mini wave of panic that hits him.

“Your knife!”

“What?!” Alarm rings through his body at the realization that someone else is there, his mind a bit too preoccupied to immediately comprehend that the voice is not only American but that of a friend.

“Your knife, Luz. The M2 in the lapel pocket - use it to cut yourself loose.”

The voice finally sinks through the layers of panic and triggers a welcome surge of calm as it`s recognized.

“Jesus, Lip, what would I do without you?” Luz grins down at the other man as he digs out his knife and gets to work cutting himself loose.

“I'm sure you would have figured it out on your own.”

“Yeah, right after a Kraut turned me into a nice shish kebab.”

Luz is too busy making his final fall to the ground to notice the smile Lip fails to fully hold back.

Rising to his feet, Luz peers around at their surroundings, frowning a bit as he notices something rather important missing.

“Alright, I give. Where's everyone else?”

Lip offers a deeply unhelpful shrug, “Don`t know. Looks like we'll have to go find them.”

“Well, fearless leader, lead the way! I`ll be right behind you, weaponless and with a radio that may or may not work.”

“What?” The concern in Lip`s voice is immediate. “Where's your weapon?”

“Dunno,” Luz takes his turn offering up a deeply unhelpful shrug, “Probably wherever that useless leg bag is.”

Lip contemplates something for a moment, a small frown on his face.

“Well, stick close to me and the first weapon you see, you grab, got it?”

“Yeah, I got it Lip. Wandering isn't allowed but weapon swiping is.”

Satisfied with Luz`s answer, Lip begins to lead them in what he hopes is the correct direction. But after a mere ten minutes, Luz is no longer by his side.

“Luz!” 

Luz responds instantly to the half whisper call, “Right here!” Popping out of some shrubs and quickly making his way to Lip, Luz appears by his side in seconds.

“What happened to sticking close?”

“Thought I saw a carbine on the ground, so I was following rule number two.”

“You need to tell me before you just wander off.”

“I wasn't really wandering, I-”

“ _ Luz _ .”

“Alright, fine. I'll stick to you like glue. Hell, I'll be breathing down your neck the whole time. If that's what you`re into.” Luz grins at his own joke as a look he can't place flashes across Lip`s face before settling into something neutral.

“Just stay close.”

“Will do, sir.” Luz gives him a playful salute but does as he's told. 

It's another fifteen minutes or so, before they come across a larger group of people. To both of their relief, the group is made up of familiar faces, including one Skip Muck, who raises a questioning eyebrow at Luz when they see each other.

Luz knows exactly what that raised brow means -  _ you and Lip together and alone?? Ooo la la! _ \- and rolls his eyes in response. He loves his friend dearly but sometimes the constant ribbing about his crush makes him want to give Muck a good kick in the shins.

The group continues on their way mostly without incident. They reach Ste Marie-du-Mont just as the sun finishes rising but there is no time for rest. Almost as soon as they reach their destination, Winters is giving orders to prepare for an assault at some place called Brecourt Manor. It's what they`ve been training so long and hard for, really getting into the fight, and with his newly acquired carbine, Luz is even feeling somewhat prepared now.

They move out quickly. Everything is moving fast enough that Winters seems to have neglected to give Luz specific instructions, so he opts to stay glued to Lip`s side. It seems like the obvious choice. Although when everyone hustles to positions and Lip decides to climb a tree, Luz is suddenly questioning his decision. As he hesitates on the ground, deciding whether to follow Lip up into the flimsy looking branches, there's a snapping sound followed by what feels like a bag of bricks knocking Luz off his feet.

The wind is momentarily knocked out of him, but not even that can`t stop his sense of humor.

“Falling for me pretty hard there, Lip?” Luz manages to grunt out the words as Lip rolls off of him.

“Is there any other way to do it?” Lip holds out a hand and helps haul Luz to his feet.

Whatever words either of them would have said next are lost to the sound of rapid fire gunshots and shouting. Their training kicks in and they get to work. It's loud and bloody and hectic. The shots come at them fast but they return fire even faster. Explosions sound off, deafening. Orders are shouted and followed without hesitation. Through everything, the men of Easy move like a well-oiled machine. 

The assault goes better than expected - only four casualties on their end. And it all happens so much quicker than expected too.

As they make their way back, the adrenaline of their wild, rough landing and their first major assault begins to wear off, leaving their limbs feeling halfway to jelly and a deep fatigue settling into their bones. They look forward to getting a few moments of well-earned rest but as they joke among themselves about their hunger and tiredness, an unpleasant smell begins to surround them. Their steps falter and their words fall away as they notice the bodies lining the ditches along their path. Suddenly, their hunger and weariness no longer seem so desperate.

They stand in the light of day, hungry, exhausted, and surrounded by the stench of death. But alive.

**BASTOGNE**

Lipton had thought the war couldn't get any worse. He had thought all the death and suffering they had already seen was enough. He had thought the cold and hunger and lack of supplies was the limit. But a quick succession of losses in the godforsaken woods of Bastogne, including the deaths of Muck and Penkala, Toye and Guarnere`s loss of limb, and Buck`s leaving, mark a brand new and terrible low.

Company morale had never been so far down the drain. Even Luz, eternal sunshine of Easy, was miserable. And it was that fact that worried Lip the most. If Easy Company`s class clown couldn't even cheer himself up or even pretend to, then where did that leave the rest of them?

_ Lost, that's where _ .

The thought sends a deeper type of chill down Lip`s spine and sets his plan for the rest of the day. First, he needs to take care of his daily duties but then he needs to figure out the Luz dilemma one way or another. There has to be a spark of the old Luz buried in there somewhere and if he can dig it out maybe that means everything will be okay.

Maybe.

It's late and most of the company is already asleep when Lip finally makes his way over to Luz`s foxhole. The rest of Easy is settled and the chaos of the day has flatlined into a coiled tension. Lip could swear his heartbeat is even louder than the crunch of snow under his boots as he reaches his destination, pulls up the foxhole cover, and slides on in. His sudden presence elicits no greeting, no sarcastic remark, or the usual sass. There isn't a single hint of Luz`s usual warmth that he radiates so easily, like a miniature sun walking the earth. With a tug at his heart, Lip realizes that it’s somehow even colder inside Luz`s foxhole than outside of it. It's all so very wrong.

“Hey Luz, how are you holding up?”

“Just peachy, Lip. You got a lighter?”

Lip watches Luz closely for a moment, something souring in his stomach at the sight of Luz`s downturned mouth, knitted together eyebrows, and the dark, unbroken glare he seems to be concentrating on the dirt in front of his feet. Lip`s mind scrambles for something, anything, that will fix this. His desperation mounts as the seconds stretch on.

“Luz?”

“Yeah?” Finally, Luz`s eyes meet his and in that moment Lip`s stomach plummets to the center of the earth. There is nothing but anger and sadness in those eyes, those eyes that had always glowed with such life that they had etched themselves a permanent spot in Lip`s thoughts. The sight breaks his heart. He wants to,  _ needs to _ , do something. His hand flexes as he tries to think, but nothing comes to mind, so instead, he listens to his gut. 

Working purely on instinct, Lip cups Luz`s face and slams his mouth against Luz`s. Luz is frozen, still as a statute, and worry flares up in Lip`s gut - perhaps this was the wrong thing to do. But just as the thought crosses his mind, Luz springs to life. He kisses Lip back, passionately and urgently, erasing any doubts Lip held. They melt together easily, chapped lips, frozen hands, and all. Lip cups the back of Luz`s head, fingers tangling in the fluff of hair that he's wanted to grab a handful of for so long. The move elicits a quiet, pleased sound from the back of Luz`s throat. 

There's a brief moment when some semblance of Lip`s self-control attempts to assert itself causing Lip`s aggressive kisses to slow to a stumble. But the faltering kisses last only a breath or two as Luz pushes back hungrily at Lip. Luz`s kisses become demanding as his hands curl into the front Lip`s jacket and pull him closer. In a heartbeat, Luz is all but in Lip`s lap, licking into his mouth, and trembling with a mind numbing mixture of cold and overwhelming desire.

Lip`s hands grip onto Luz`s thighs as he maneuvers Luz so that Luz is properly straddling his lap. In this position, neither of them can hide their growing excitement, not that either of them would care to even try at this point. Luz shows his appreciation for the new position with a quiet moan as he rolls his body against Lip`s and yanks away Lip`s scarf to gain better access to his neck. Luz trails kisses and light nips all along Lip`s jaw, down to the tiny sliver of shoulder that he can just get to before Lip`s coat provides a cumbersome obstacle to the rest of his skin.

Lip`s hands find their way up Luz`s thighs to his waist, where they pull at layers of fabric, looking for a way to the soft flesh underneath. It's not long before his hands find what they`re looking for, skimming over Luz`s stomach, sides, and back, before coming back around and hooking themselves around Luz`s belt buckle. It's here that Lip pauses and pulls back from Luz to look at him face to face in the dark. 

“You sure?” The question is a barely audible whisper and if Luz wasn't looking right at Lip as he said it, he almost certainly would have missed it over the sound of their heavy breaths.

The answering  _ yes  _ slips out of Luz`s mouth without need for thought. Luz couldn't be more sure of this - he wants to feel warm, feel close to another person, feel his heart race for a reason other than fear. There is no hesitation to Luz`s answer and that's all that Lip needs before picking everything up right where they left off. Their mouths crash sloppily together as Lip grapples with Luz`s belt buckle. He barely has the buckle undone before Luz`s hands are scrambling to do the same with Lip`s belt.

Lip grabs Luz`s wrists, pulling his hands up and placing them on his shoulders. The confused look on Luz`s face dissipates as Lip yanks him down into another kiss and adjusts Luz`s position in his lap ever so slightly. Lip slides a hand down the front of Luz`s pants, fingers circling gently around their prize. It doesn't take long for Lip to figure out what Luz likes best - the hitch in his breath as Lip runs his fingers one way and the gurgled sound of a suppressed groan as his wrist circles in another direction are the only clues he needs. Under the firm but gentle movements of Lip`s warm hand, Luz finishes quickly, going slack in Lip`s lap as soon as he peaks.

Luz`s body comes back to life half a moment later as his hands fumble their way back towards Lip`s pants. With his face buried in Lip`s neck, his mouth doing its part to warm the chilled skin it finds there, Luz wriggles his hand down Lip`s pants. The sudden, yet long awaited, contact is enough to make Lipton forget how to breathe. Luz`s hand feels better than he had ever imagined and for the briefest second he can forget the frozen hell that surrounds them as a wave of pleasure carries him somewhere much warmer. But waves don't go on forever and before long Lip is crashing on the cold shores of reality, spent.

Luz, body still parked on top of Lip, rests his forehead against Lip`s as their breathing slows back down. It isn't until they`ve gathered themselves that Luz finally slides his way off of Lip and plops himself down next to him, body pressed close against Lip`s side. Lip feels like he should say something but his mind is too preoccupied to come up with anything that fits what feels like such an important moment. So he says the only thing his mind can come up with.

“You still want that lighter?”

It earns him a chuckle and an honest-to-god smile.

“Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

They share a smoke, wordless, as they bask in the lingering bit of warmth and comfort of their encounter. They eventually drift off, some time late in the night, pressed together against the invading cold.

**HAGUENAU**

They don't talk about it. They don't talk about the stolen moments, the quick kisses, the squeezes of fumbling hands, the nights Luz curls himself around a shivering Lipton. They offer each other what little wordless comfort they can and go about their days as usual, like nothing at all has changed. But they can both feel the shift.

They just don`t talk about it. 

**BERCHTESGADEN**

Maybe it's the alcohol warming his veins, or the fact he finally feels full and clean and rested, or maybe it's just that George Luz is someone who likes to talk. Whatever the reason, months of silence are finally broken, just as Lipton is yanking his shirt over his head.

“Are we friends?” 

“What?” Lipton pauses, shirt clutched in his hands, as he gives Luz a confused look.

“Are we friends?” Luz feels like he's floating on a cloud. Perhaps he had a little too much champagne for this particular conversation but there's no going back now. “We do an awful lot of kissing for friends. Muck and I used to kiss but not this much. We usually just… you know…” His words are a little too slurred as they leave his mouth and with a shirtless Lipton just inches from him, he`s wishing the words never left his mouth at all.

“You and Muck, huh?” Lip sits next to Luz on the bed, fidgeting with the shirt in his hands, a small ball of jealousy forming in his stomach at the thought of  _ Luz and Muck _ .

“Yeah, I mean we were just friends. Just having fun. Just… I don`t know, messing around.”

Lipton stares down at the pattern of sunlight dancing along the floor as he searches for something to say. Even this brief moment of silence feels like too much for Luz and he presses on to fill it up with something.

“He used to tease me about you.” Luz puts on his best impression of Muck, “ _ Hey, George, have you seen your man today? His PT shorts are looking extra short _ .” The grin on Luz`s face fades as memories of Bastogne surface. “He'd have a field day if he knew what we`re doing now.” The words come out quieter than he intends but Lipton still hears them clearly, the bubble of jealousy popping at the reminder of Muck`s death.

There are birds chirping somewhere just outside the tiny window of the secluded room they found for themselves. The already small room suddenly feels a bit more cramped with the unwanted company of painful memories and unspoken words. Neither of them say anything for a while, they just sit side by side on the bed, both suddenly feeling much more sober.

Finally, Lip`s voice fills the quiet room, “Do you want to be just friends?”

Luz stares at him, eyes wide, almost hesitant to answer. But it's been years of silence and with the war over, it's now or never.  _ Now or never _ .

“No.”  A singular word but a weighty word.

Lipton nods, contemplating, “I`m not sure how this will work back home but we can figure it out,” there`s a confidence in his words as he says them, “if you're sure this is what you want.”

Luz sits up a little straighter, a spark of something warm in his chest.

“Yeah, I'm sure. Real sure.”

“Good.”

The smile Lip gives him just then causes Luz`s heart to skip a beat. But the missed beat is more than made up for when his heart shifts into overtime, beating wildly as Lip closes the little distance between them and kisses him.

What follows is slow and warm and full of lightness. It isn`t the hurried encounter of Bastogne, or the quick kisses of Haguenau, or the drunken rendezvous typical of Berchtesgaden. It`s slow, deep kisses, mouths exploring every square inch of skin they can find, fingers trailing along patches of skin untouched for so long. It`s low moans and the easy, unhurried melting of two bodies together. It's taking their time finding pleasure in each other's arms. It's a bed and a locked door and the tentative start of something new.


End file.
